


This Is Life

by Historical_Fangirl



Category: Bandstand - Oberacker/Oberacker & Taylor
Genre: Children, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, Married Life, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Romance, Shopping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-02-10 01:39:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18650302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Historical_Fangirl/pseuds/Historical_Fangirl
Summary: Donny, Julia, and everyone else's lives didn't stop being exciting after the contest. If anything, they got more exciting.Various short drabbles set after the events of Bandstand. Mostly fluff.





	1. Dress Shopping

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first set of stories for Bandstand, and my first time writing something like this, so I hope everyone enjoys! The drabbles will probably not be in chronological order, but I'll try my best to indicate when they take place.

_ June 1947 _

 

“What about this one?”

 

Julia’s best friend, a young blonde woman named Karen Dalton, frowned slightly as Julia modeled the dress in front of a full-length mirror. “It’s nice, it’s just a bit…”

 

“Orange,” Julia’s other friend, Patricia Winters, finished. “You look like a glass of orange juice.”

 

Julia looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, then burst out laughing. Patty could always be counted on to be brutally honest.

 

“Try this one,” her mother suggested, handing her a dark blue dress. “See if you like it.”

 

~

 

When Julia exited the changing room wearing the dress her mother had picked out, there was a collective murmur of approval from the three women she had brought with her. She turned to face herself in the mirror and sucked in her own breath at what she saw.

 

The dress was undeniably gorgeous, low-cut but still modest, with a hem that fell at Julia’s knees. She spun around in it, admiring how the skirt twirled in a way that made her feel like a little girl again, before facing her mother and friends.

 

Patty didn’t waste any time. “That’s it. That’s the one.”

 

“I agree,” Karen said. “It’s perfect. Chic, but still ‘you’.”

 

“Mom?” Julia turned to her mother. “What do you think?”

 

“I always said blue was your color,” Mrs. Adams declared, looking a little misty-eyed as she gazed at her daughter.

 

“Okay, then!” Julia grinned, turning back to the mirror as she brushed her hands along the skirt. “This is it. My wedding dress.”


	2. The Perfect Ring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter skips back in time about 9 months, to just before Donny proposes to Julia.

_ September 1946 _

 

Wayne tapped his fingers impatiently on the glass counter. “How much longer do you need, Donny? We’ve been here for an hour already.”

 

Donny glared at Wayne. “I’m not rushing this! You’ll just have to be patient.” He returned to examining one of the many engagement rings spread out in front of him.

 

Wayne sighed heavily. “Why did you invite me here in the first place? You could’ve done this by yourself.”

 

“I needed a second opinion,” Donny replied distractedly. “And none of the other guys can keep a secret.” He hesitated slightly. “Plus you’ve been married before.”   
  


Wayne stiffened at Donny’s words, his hand automatically going to the finger where his wedding ring used to be before he remembered its absence and shoved both of his hands in his pockets. “I’m not exactly the poster child for marriage,” he finally said, quietly.

 

“Guess not,” Donny conceded, straightening up. “But I need help picking out a ring, not advice on marital harmony.”

 

A ghost of a smile flitted across Wayne’s face. “Well, in that case.” He pointed at the ring in Donny’s left hand, the more simple of the two options with a thin gold band and set with a single sparkling diamond. “That one.”

 

Donny inspected Wayne’s choice. “You sure?”

 

“Positive,” Wayne said. “She’ll love it.”

 

“I hope so.” Donny handed the ring over to the jeweler and reached for his wallet to pay. “But hey, if she doesn’t you could always give it to Nick.”

 

Wayne flushed bright red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might write a little something about Donny and Julia's actual wedding sometime soon if people are interested. As I said, I have no idea where I'm going with this besides trying to post one chapter a day, so if anyone wants me to write anything specific I will happily do it.
> 
> Please, feel free to leave comments and kudos and tell me what you think of this so far!


	3. Moving In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a bit stuck on my next drabble for a little while, but I think this ended up being cute.

_ August 1947 _

 

The front hallway of the house was full of boxes, each of them labeled with Julia’s neat handwriting. Mrs. Adams nodded as she surveyed them, satisfied.

 

“I think that’s everything.”

 

“Finally,” Donny said, walking up behind her and Julia. “I thought we’d never finish.” He shook his head at Julia. “You have too much stuff.”

 

“No I don’t, you’re just being lazy,” Julia teased, reaching up to smooth back Donny’s hair.

 

“I am, huh?” Donny raised one eyebrow at Julia, then without warning picked her up bridal style and swung her around.

 

Julia shrieked. “Donny put me down!”

 

“Hm… nope. Don’t feel like it.”

 

“Donny, I swear if you don’t put me down I’ll-”

 

Julia was cut off by her mother clearing her throat. “Well, then. I think I’ll let you two lovebirds have some alone time.”

 

“You’re not going to stay for dinner, Mom?” Julia asked, still in Donny’s arms.

 

“No, I should get going. It’s your first night together in this new house, you don’t want to have to entertain me,” Mrs. Adams said. “But I’ll see you soon, okay?”

 

“Thanks for all your help, June,” Donny said as she picked up her hat and purse and made ready to leave. He had started calling Julia’s mother by her first name since he and Julia had gotten engaged, at her insistence.

 

“Of course, it was no trouble.” June smiled at Donny, then quietly exited his and Julia’s new home.

 

Donny looked back up at Julia, who had wrapped her arms around his neck. “I seem to remember there being a pretty big master bedroom somewhere around here.”

 

Julia leaned in and kissed Donny deeply in response. “Lead the way, Donny Nova.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left comments and kudos so far, please continue to leave them!


	4. A Christmas Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble skips forward several years, to December 1951.

_ December 1951 _

 

“Want any hot cocoa, Johnny?” Julia asked.

 

“Sure, thanks,” Johnny replied, looking up from the book he was reading with a small smile.

 

It was a few weeks before Christmas, and Johnny was spending a few hours at Donny and Julia’s place, keeping Julia company. Donny was out running a few errands (buying Julia a Christmas present, for one thing) and he hadn’t wanted Julia to be alone for too long.

 

Julia slowly pushed herself up off of the sofa, grunting slightly with the effort.

 

“Are you okay?” Johnny asked.

 

“I’m fine, Johnny.” Julia smiled. “And I told you, no fussing. You’re as bad as Donny.”

 

“Sorry,” Johnny smiled back, a little sheepishly, and resumed his reading.

 

Julia shook her head fondly as she made her way into the kitchen and began to make hot chocolate for herself and Johnny. For the last few months of her pregnancy, Donny and the rest of the band had been treating her like she was made of glass. That was one of the main reasons Julia had asked Johnny to keep her company and not anyone else- Johnny knew how frustrating it was to not be trusted to do anything for yourself.

 

As the milk Julia had put in a saucepan on the stove began to simmer, however, she felt a sudden, cramping pain in her stomach. Gasping a little, Julia put a hand on the kitchen counter to steady herself.

 

_ Was that…? _

 

Julia’s question was answered a few minutes later when another contraction hit her, causing her to tighten her grip on the counter.

 

_ Great. This is just great. _

 

Julia didn’t realize she’d said that last part out loud until she heard Johnny call from the living room. “Julia? Everything okay?”

 

“Everything’s fine!” Julia called back, slowly turning the stove off. “I’m fine.”

 

“Okay…” Johnny definitely didn’t sound convinced, but Julia was glad he didn’t press her further. This was probably just a false alarm, nothing to get worked up over- another contraction hit Julia, and she doubled over in pain.

 

She must have made some kind of noise because the next thing she knew Johnny was in the kitchen, with his arm wrapped around her back to support her. When the pain passed Julia straightened up, trying to even out her breathing.

 

“This isn’t nothing,” Jonny said. He didn’t sound angry, just concerned and a little scared. “You need to go to the hospital.”

 

“You’re probably right.” Julia smiled at him weakly. “I’ll get my coat. Can you call Jimmy and ask him to find Donny? He said he would be at Higbee's.”

 

“Yeah, sure.” Johnny hurried away, and Julia soon heard him in the front hall using the phone. “Jimmy? It’s me, Johnny. Listen, Julia’s in labor. You need to find Donny, okay? Yes, I’m taking her to the hospital!”

 

Julia smiled slightly at how panicked Johnny had suddenly gotten as she made her way to the living room and slipped on her coat. No sooner had she done this than she felt water trickle down her legs. She froze.

 

“Julia? Jimmy said he’d call Donny, now we can go…” Johnny trailed off as he reentered the room and saw Julia. “What’s wrong?”

 

“My water just broke.”   
  


Johnny blinked. Then he took Julia’s hand and gently tugged her towards the door. “We’re going. Now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed that! I might write a part two of this with Donny and Julia at the hospital if people would be interested in that. Let me know! Also, I've been wanting to write for other characters besides Donny and Julia so if anyone has any suggestions for me in regards to that I'd love to hear them.


	5. Sixty Years Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is quite a large time skip in between this chapter and the last one. Julia is about 85 or 86 years old here.
> 
> Just a brief warning, there is a mentioned major character death in this chapter.

_ 2005 _

 

Julia smiled to herself as she opened the large trunk in her attic for the first time in many years. The smell of mothballs and dust floated up towards her, but she didn’t mind. Carefully reaching her hand in, Julia pulled out the photo album resting on top of the other things in the chest.

 

The album was thick with black and white photographs, which eventually turned into color ones. The date each one was taken was written below the photos in Julia’s neat handwriting, along with a brief description of the event the picture documented.  _ Engagement- September 1946. Getting Married- July 1947. Birth of Stephen Michael Novitski- December 1951. Birth of Charlotte June Novitski- July 1954.  _ Julia flipped through the photos, smiling at the memories until she found the one she was looking for.  _ Last Gig- December 1975. _

 

The photo was of the whole band, all of them smiling at the camera. It had been taken just after they played their last concert as the Donny Nova Band, on the 30th anniversary of their losing the MGM contest. None of them had particularly wanted to split up for good, but with everyone getting older and their children growing up and moving on they had all agreed it was time for them to move on too. They still saw each other regularly after that, they just didn’t play publicly anymore.

 

Julia closed the album and carefully set it aside, pulling out the next object in the trunk. It was a small ring box, containing Julia’s engagement and wedding rings from when she had been married to Michael. She had taken them off for good when she and Donny had gotten married, fully drawing a curtain over that part of her life while still retaining her memories of a wonderful man.

 

The next few items Julia found were all like that. Her and Michael’s wedding photo, the veil she wore at her first wedding, a notebook filled with the songs Michael had written for her when they first started dating. Reminders of her old life, one she looked at now with a bittersweet kind of nostalgia.

 

Julia’s chest began to ache as she pulled out the next item, a wooden box with a clear glass lid. Inside it was an American flag, carefully folded into a triangle. It was the flag that had been draped on top of Donny’s casket at his funeral, looking just as clean and bright as it had that day.

 

Julia’s children and grandchildren had tried to convince her to display it in the living room of her and Donny’s house, as a way to remember him, but Julia hadn’t been able to bring herself to. Donny’s death had still hurt badly at that point, and she didn’t want yet another reminder of his absence. The whole house was already filled with his things, and photos of them together.

 

But now, almost five years later, Julia finally felt ready. She held the flag carefully, close to her chest, and slowly stood up. She would hang it where everyone could see it, in a place of honor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Donny died sometime in the year 2000 or 2001. He was about 78 or 79 years old.
> 
> I really like this little story, and I'd love some feedback on it. Please let me know what you thought of it! And if you have any suggestions or constructive criticism, feel free to tell me that as well.

**Author's Note:**

> I just thought I'd start things off with some fluff with Julia since she's one of my favorite characters.
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos, and tell me what you think of this! You can also leave requests for things you'd like me to write if you want to, and I'll see what I can do with them.


End file.
